Cannondale refuses to replace broken frame (lifetime warranty)
#1
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Cannondale refuses to replace broken frame (lifetime warranty)
Edit: 09/15/15 - rather than read through the entire thread... The LBS went to bat for me with Cannondale and got Cannondale to agree to a frame replacement.
I was commuting to work on my carbon fiber cannondale synapse. I had just climbed a very short hill, coasted for a bit, and on my next pedal stroke by bike came to an immediate and abrupt complete stope. Fortunately, I was only going about 8mph and was able to click out of the pedals without crashing. Upon inspection, my rear derailluer was firmly jammed into the rear wheel and spokes as well as into the rear cassette. I thought the derailleur hanger had broken.
I took the bike to the shop where I purchased the bike (Old Town Bikes, Olympia, WA.) They were able to pry the rear wheel away and get the derailluer out of the spokes. Upon their inspection, the dearailleur hanger had not broken but had torn through the carbon fiber rear dropouts. The result... carbon fiber frame us now useless. The bike shop submitted a claim to Cannondale. Cannondale came back with their decision today and said they would offer me 20 percent off for crash replacement. I explained, there was no crash where the bike was damaged. Plus, nearly all bikes are reduced 20 percent off for the new models coming in... their "offer" was really no offer at all.
Needless to say, Cannondale gets a thumbs down from me. I won't buy a bicycle (or anything else) from a dealer that sells cannondale. There is no such thing as a lifetime warranty... this is merely a bunch of useless sales rhetoric. $3000 bike is now a door stop.
I was commuting to work on my carbon fiber cannondale synapse. I had just climbed a very short hill, coasted for a bit, and on my next pedal stroke by bike came to an immediate and abrupt complete stope. Fortunately, I was only going about 8mph and was able to click out of the pedals without crashing. Upon inspection, my rear derailluer was firmly jammed into the rear wheel and spokes as well as into the rear cassette. I thought the derailleur hanger had broken.
I took the bike to the shop where I purchased the bike (Old Town Bikes, Olympia, WA.) They were able to pry the rear wheel away and get the derailluer out of the spokes. Upon their inspection, the dearailleur hanger had not broken but had torn through the carbon fiber rear dropouts. The result... carbon fiber frame us now useless. The bike shop submitted a claim to Cannondale. Cannondale came back with their decision today and said they would offer me 20 percent off for crash replacement. I explained, there was no crash where the bike was damaged. Plus, nearly all bikes are reduced 20 percent off for the new models coming in... their "offer" was really no offer at all.
Needless to say, Cannondale gets a thumbs down from me. I won't buy a bicycle (or anything else) from a dealer that sells cannondale. There is no such thing as a lifetime warranty... this is merely a bunch of useless sales rhetoric. $3000 bike is now a door stop.
Last edited by InTheRain; 09-15-15 at 02:59 PM.
#2
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Your frame didn't break because of a manufacturing defect in the frame itself, which is what a lifetime warranty on a frame typically covers, your frame broke as a result of some mechanical malfunction.
Something broke which was not your frame -- maybe the derailleur itself? -- and then caused damage to the frame. Crash replacement is the correct term and coverage for something like this. I can't think of a single bike company which would consider this as a frame defect covered under any warranty on the frame.
So what caused the derailleur malfunction? How old is the bike? When's the last time it was serviced? What did the shop say happened to cause the mechanical issue?
Something broke which was not your frame -- maybe the derailleur itself? -- and then caused damage to the frame. Crash replacement is the correct term and coverage for something like this. I can't think of a single bike company which would consider this as a frame defect covered under any warranty on the frame.
So what caused the derailleur malfunction? How old is the bike? When's the last time it was serviced? What did the shop say happened to cause the mechanical issue?
Last edited by mconlonx; 08-27-15 at 02:34 PM.
#4
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20% off crash replacement usually means that much off a whole new bike, not just a frame.
#6
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Derailluer hanger is still straight - the bike has not been handled roughly. Any adjustments to derailleurs or cables have been made by the bike shop - authorized cannondale dealer (I bought lifetime free tune ups which includes those adjustments.)
#8
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As much as I enjoy the guys at Old Town, they are directly linked to Cannondale. It's difficult for me to go back to Old Town since this did not end satisfactorily for me. I have plenty of other options it this community, right?
#9
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How steep was the hill? Well an experienced rider wouldn't even notice it. I was not on the hill when this happened. I had already climbed the hill (which is only about 40 yards long) and I had easily coasted another 40-50 yards before I took that 1/2 pedal stroke. I was on the 50 tooth front ring. I shifted from the 3rd largest sprocket on the rear derailleur to the largest at the bottom of the hill. I had not shifted out of that gear when I resumed pedaling at the top of the hill after coasting for a bit. And yes, the derailleur hanger is still straight, it would be perfectly functional on another bicycle.
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See if you can get 20% off the current 20% off price.
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How steep was the hill? Well an experienced rider wouldn't even notice it. I was not on the hill when this happened. I had already climbed the hill (which is only about 40 yards long) and I had easily coasted another 40-50 yards before I took that 1/2 pedal stroke. I was on the 50 tooth front ring. I shifted from the 3rd largest sprocket on the rear derailleur to the largest at the bottom of the hill. I had not shifted out of that gear when I resumed pedaling at the top of the hill after coasting for a bit. And yes, the derailleur hanger is still straight, it would be perfectly functional on another bicycle.
But what really made this the catastrophe it turned out to be, is the carbon frame. There is just too much dissimilarity in the properties of the metal bits that hold hubs and derailleurs and such and the composite that makes up your frame. Even if I could afford one, I would not see much point in a carbon frame. I am surprised Cannondale did not use some kind of breakaway derailleur hangar to forestall just such a scenario.
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Cross chaining doesn't care about tooth counts it cares about chainstay length. And TBH, cross-chaining is not usually the most terrible thing a cyclist could do. But... what better explanation do you have?
#15
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I see that you're a cannondale guy by the bikes you ride. I was, too. But really, with the way this situation has been handled by cannondale (the bike shop would do anything that cannondale instructs them to do) I'd find it difficult to be riding a cannondale at this point even if it was given to me for free. If so, the first thing i would do is cover the cannondale logos with black tape. I really thought cannondale would come through with a much, much better solution... but they didn't. I think I'll be replacing the frame with a steel surly frame. I guess I have a trust issue with carbon fiber at this point.
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I see that you're a cannondale guy by the bikes you ride. I was, too. But really, with the way this situation has been handled by cannondale (the bike shop would do anything that cannondale instructs them to do) I'd find it difficult to be riding a cannondale at this point even if it was given to me for free. If so, the first thing i would do is cover the cannondale logos with black tape. I really thought cannondale would come through with a much, much better solution... but they didn't. I think I'll be replacing the frame with a steel surly frame. I guess I have a trust issue with carbon fiber at this point.
V
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Seems to me it was the limit screw/mechanic that failed him. I'd be pressuring the shop more than Cannondale. I agree with the mfg that human error was the major cause rather than frame failure.
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^ odds are about 90% that it's Shimano, but there are some Sram offerings in the Synapse line.
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#20
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If the shop is washing their hands of all this, it wouldn't hurt to go over the head of the shop and the local/regional outside rep, and file a complaint with Cannondale corporate direct.
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Don't see how cross chaining could cause that. Maybe if the skewer was a little loose, the wheel could have been pulled into the derailleur. Possibly the hanger was loose or maybe even over tightened.
From the bike shop and Canondale's perspective, I suppose it's hard to believe that some sort of crash didn't cause this.
I wouldn't rule out a defective frame.
From the bike shop and Canondale's perspective, I suppose it's hard to believe that some sort of crash didn't cause this.
I wouldn't rule out a defective frame.
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Sounds like the bike is a little older than I was thinking when I posted. Under 6 months old (or within a month of a tune-up)...maybe there's a chance to pin blame on the shop. While not a crash, I think there is clearly human error somewhere here.
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My carbon bikes have held up. I had a steel bike that was trashed after a low impact crash.
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"The older you do get, the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin', man, L-I-V-I-N." - Wooderson
'14 carbon Synapse - '12 CAAD 10 5 - '99 Gary Fisher Big Sur
"The older you do get, the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin', man, L-I-V-I-N." - Wooderson
'14 carbon Synapse - '12 CAAD 10 5 - '99 Gary Fisher Big Sur